Tastes

I hear a lot of bourbon drinkers like the other version of this but i’m the opposite. This is my favorite of the two Nikka Coffey still bottles (it’s a notch above the grain whisky). Nose: caramel, pecans, banana, maple syrup, apples Taste: spicy and candied vanilla Finish: medium Very sweet. I’ve seen this at $90 which is too high in my opinion. Below $60 is a good value.

Of all the toasted barrel finished bourbons of the last few years this might by my least favorite. I’m very fond of Woodford Double Oaked, Makers 46 and Michter’s Toasted but this one is heavy on the cinnamon, low on the oak surprisingly and not much else. Nose: similar to Makers 46, some oak with hints of apples & cherry Taste: cinnamon with a hint of vanilla’d honey Finish: pretty short actually with a little extra oak at the end

Why are 2-3 year old bourbons charging a premium again? The high proof hides a slew of imperfections. A few drops of water brings those out. Nose: vanilla, corn, oak Taste: hot cinnamon Finish: short $20 Heaven Hill beats this easy.

Nose: vanilla, raisins and maple syrup Taste: cinnamon and a hint of strawberries Finish: medium For years I have wanted to like this more than I do but it’s a $40 bourbon that gets lost against the Woodfords or Four Roses or Elijah Craigs. It’s good but I just don’t think about it enough to buy a bottle over the others for home very often.

Well this was a pleasant surprise. I can’t remember the last new distillery that is distilling and aging its own bourbon that actually tasted good! New Riff maybe? Gotta be 5 years or more. Nose: Vanilla, soft sweet oak, hints of cereal & barley grains, maple syrup Taste: More vanilla and baking spices, a hint of mint, honey and grass Finish: short but decently smooth for such a new distilled bourbon that says they distilled and aged it themselves. For $40 would I choose this over Elijah Craig, Makers 46 or Woodford? No, those staples are called that for a reason. but this is a nice daily sipper that I’ll definitely try again soon. Interesting note: water opens up the grassy notes on the nose but doesn’t do much for the taste.

New Holland is great at beer. Their 5-year malt whiskey is also pretty good. But this young bourbon should probably have never been released. Nose: celery and malted barley, hint of brown sugar Taste: bitter candy Finish: a hint of licorice and some weird medicinal after taste Just another young whiskey from one of 10,000 new American “distilleries”.

This was way better when it was the 6-year release and the barrels didn’t taste one dimensional & diluted. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond is just as good, cheaper, and available all over the place. Nose: candy corn and wood Taste: a little bit of pepper, hints of honey and caramel candy Finish: short, dry Not worth hunting. Stick with Evan Williams for 95% of the experience for half the price and you don’t need to hunt it down either. Hell, grab a handle of EW bonded for $35. Same distillery, same experience.

Haven’t had this in a few years. This is a bottle from a 2014 barrel. It’s not as sweet and caramel as I remember. And it’s definitely more expensive. At this price and the flavors I’m getting it’s no longer a great buy in my opinion. Will try to find a ‘13 and compare and also wait for the next year’s barrels. Nose: classic Evan Williams—corn, dust, molasses Taste: kinda thin. Hint of candy corn. Baking spices. Finish: short I used to get cherries in this several years in a row, but that note is completely gone. Kind of wild for a prominent note to disappear.

Glendronach 12 is one of my favorite scotches. This older version doesn’t disappoint & at under $100 is a decent value. Nose: toasted caramel, tobacco, slightly smoked fruit hints of dusty oak Taste: rich sweet berries, vanilla, baking spices, malt Finished: medium

Finished bourbons are great. Give me a bottle of Woodford Double Oaked or Makers 46 any day instead of overpriced secondary crap. Nose: oaky, smoky, toasty vanilla, nuts and caramel Taste: bananas, toffee, more toasty oak and baking spices Finish: medium